Today is a sad day for Victoria as the draconian anti-protest laws come into effect. Premier Andrews joins the shameful lineup of Premiers who are criminalising peaceful protest to protect the people driving the climate breakdown and mass extinction enveloping the world, forever sealing its fate.
“Peaceful protest is fundamental to a healthy democracy. Taking away the people’s right to protest is an assault on our democratic rights and demonstrates the extent to which the Andrews Government has been captured by the logging industry,” Christine Milne said.
“Our Foundation expresses our fullest support and encouragement to the citizens and environmental groups who will today take mass action in Victoria’s forests. Victoria’s forest defenders have uncovered illegal logging and surveyed endangered gliders and other threatened species inside forests targeted for logging. It’s outrageous that now citizens who survey or protest to defend forests and their precious wildlife face $21,000 fines and 12 months jail,” BBF Campaigns Manager Jenny Weber said.
“Premier Andrew’s can and should protect Victoria’s native forests. Instead of subsidising their destruction, the Premier could be securing the climate, economy and wildlife by putting into effect the protection of forests today instead of draconian penalties for forest defenders,” Jenny Weber said.
“It smacks of desperation by governments who are captured by the logging and fossil fuel companies as they act on behalf of extractive industries that don’t like peaceful protests disrupting their business of destroying the planet and climate,” Jenny Weber said.
“We now have a situation across Australia where environmentalists are jailed and environmental exploiters are protected and subsidised. Instead of increasing environmental protection, we have laws that do the reverse — laws which foster the self-made environmental tragedy of this planet,” Bob Brown said
“Anti-protest laws are a hallmark of dictatorships. The Australian High Court has ruled that there is an implied right to peaceful protest in the Australian Constitution. These laws, now in every state and ratcheting up, are being dictated by powerful resource extraction companies who want the citizenry dumbed down on the climate and extinction crises. As the twin crises worsen, the protests will become more determined,” said Bob Brown.